(first posted 3/17/2011) What would a maker and restorer of old violins drive? For the last twenty five thirty years that is. And what would he live in, also for the last twenty five years, since he saved it from the wrecking ball and moved it here (not with the Tercel though)? Yes, David Gusset, a nearby neighbor and luthier knows what will last for the long haul. His 140 year old Carpenter Gothic house and Tercel wagon are testimony to that. But he’s not the only one to bear testimony to the indestructible Tercel, by far.

There are dozens of these Tercel wagons around, but I picked David’s because it pricks the myth that all old Tercel wagons are driven by hippies. Exactly 82% are. Seriously, that label is so broad and tired, especially in a town like Eugene. Anyway, I don’t remember real hippies flying off to spend a weekend gambling in Las Vegas.

This Tercel doesn’t get pampered like the violins in David’s shop behind his house; it’s sat outside for a quarter of a century. And it regularly pulls a trailer for hauling wood (violin makers and house restorers tend to need a regular supply). But then I doubt very few Tercel wagons ever spent time in a garage. It’s an outdoorsy sort of machine, the kind that tends to gravitate (along with their owners) to places like Eugene, there to commune with their soul-brothers: Nissan Stanza wagons, Subaru wagons, and Honda Civic Wagovans.

These four boxy kindred spirits share certain qualities that particularly endear them to their Eugenian long-term owners: compact, yet tall and roomy; economical and reliable to an extreme; genuine Made In Japan quality; and all available with four-wheel drive. They’re just the ticket to get you to that favorite clothing-not-an-option hot springs or swimming hole, in rain, snow or shine.

Our featured Tercel is a lowly FWD version, which makes it a bit of an outsider in more ways than one. My unscientific guess is that about eighty percent of these wagons sport that big 4WD badge on all four sides, as well as a pretty creative drive train hiding under the box. The Tercel lent itself to conversion to 4WD in a particularly advantageous way.

The original Tercel of 1978 was Toyota’s first-ever front wheel driver. The engineers were thinking outside the ubiquitous transverse engine-transmission econo-box when they designed the Tercel. The engine sits longitudinal (north-south), right over the front wheels, like in a RWD car. The transmission extended partly to the rear, than back forwards, under the engine. Kind of like the Olds Toronado, without the primary chain drive.

It’s not like they had 4WD in mind at the time (I think). But when the SUV/4×4 boom hit hard in the early eighties, Toyota was quick on the draw. It was a cinch to extend the output shaft out the back of the transmission, and connect it to a driveshaft for the solid rear axle, which itself was sourced from the still-RWD Corolla. All very simple, rugged and functional, in that old-school Toyota way.

But that wasn’t the end of the tricks. A low-gear transfer case is pretty much out of the question for a FWD to 4×4 conversion. So Toyota slipped in an optional sixth gear in the (manual) transmission, a super low 4.71 ratio “stump-puller”. Well, with the little 1.5 liter mill churning out all of 62 horsepower, let’s forget stumps; blueberry bushes maybe.

And it all (still) works like a charm in deep snow, mud or sand. Not on dry pavement, though, because like most 4WD systems of the time, it had no center differential.

Of course, it was a pokey little puppy loaded up (or even empty) on long up-hill highway grades. But who’s in a hurry when the scenery is so good, and you’re living the perpetually relaxed life of an under-employed Eugenian?

The Tercel wagon has earned its near mythical durability/reliability status. Good luck trying to prick that one. Even its asymmetrical tailgate is the stuff of legends. Well, it does look odd, and has been often been likened to an ATM.

I have a theory about one of the reasons that folks don’t part company with their Tercel wagons if they bought them new: it’s because they’re trying to amortize the rip-off price they paid. We looked at buying one in 1985, during the peak of the Japanese voluntary import restrictions. I don’t remember what the MSRP was ($8+k for the SR5), but the Santa Monica dealer’s well-adjusted asking price was $11K ($22.5 k in 2010 dollars). That was the first five-figure little Toyota I had ever laid eyes on, and it seemed stiff for a 62 hp economy wagon. Those import restrictions caused Americans untold tens of billions in higher prices, put billions in extra profits into the Japanese coffers, made the Big Three (and AMC) look a lot healthier (for a while) than they really were, and funded cars like the original Lexus 400. Live and learn.

We passed, mostly due to Stephanie’s veto, and bought a similarly over-priced Jeep Cherokee. At least it was a lot cheaper on a per-pound basis. But then, if I’d listened to my practical side, I’d probably still be driving the Tercel today, mostly trouble-free, unlike our long-gone cantankerous Jeep. Instead, I’m driving the Tercel wagon’s direct spiritual descendent, but minus the 4WD. Toyota kept that feature for the Japanese market xB only!? So much for Toyota’s impeccable judgment. Now that’s an easier myth to prick.

My dad had one of these (4WD) for a while, although I don’t remember ever driving it. He used it to haul music equipment and painting equipment. He liked it a lot… until it was damaged in an accident and was replaced with a Suzuki Sidekick 4-door. Then he learned the difference between a small car and a small truck.

A friend had one of these. It was yellow with a matching yellow/brown/black plaid interior. Cute as a button and very impressive as an all-around good car. I suppose this was the precursor to the RAV4. I was a rabid Chrysler man in those days and wouldn’t even consider a foreign car no matter how much it hurt. My K cars did fine just the same, thank you very much. Hippies? They’re still in ‘Frisco, drugged and burnt out and living on the street. At least the ones still alive. Or they moved to Idaho. Or Eugene. Or Montana. Or Santa Monica oceanside park by the pier – We saw them!

“…perpetually relaxed life of an under-employed Eugenian.”
Sounds pretty darn good right about now as I round the half century mark and find myself questioning all that ambition my youthful self.

Does the xB carry any of that mid-80’s rock solid Toyota DNA? This was their heyday…building it’s quality rep in a broad assortment of automobiles while the US makers were imploding. I recall the results of those voluntary restrictions, in ’84 I purchased a Celica and negotiating consisted of “do you want it or not?”

A friend of mine had one of these things for years and towards the end, he simply couldn’t part with it. The thing had like 600,000 + km on it and it still ran like a charm. Problem was the rest of the car was disintegrating around that bullet-proof motor and transmission.

These cars were certainly not cheap but they also stood up very well. The Japanese made their reputation during this period. I remember well at the time all the GM freaks saying how crappy Japanese cars were, how they were made of pop cans, would never stand the winter, blah, blah, blah, and how much better American cars were than they used to be.

And you know, there is a whole new generation people telling me, “American cars are much better than they are used to be,” but I cannot find a single measure of quality that backs that up. As far as I am concerned, they are still junk.

This was a solidly built rational vehicle that was embarrassed by it’s geekness. So, in an attempt to protect itself from the laughter, it deliberately places styling eccentricities right out in the open for stupid people to easily mock. Then it charged buyers what it was worth to build.

If you were willing to fork over some serious cash in 1984, and had no problem being continually asked why you drove such an odd looking vehicle, then you ended up buying a terrific little wagon.

I’m not certain if the Tercel wagon helped Toyota. It would have if it was more conventionally styled, which Toyota did attempt to do the next year. But most folks do not look to the kind of buyers of these cars for guidance regarding auto purchases. Overall, this vehicle is a pleasant oddity to enjoy and a souvenir to those of us wishing an automobile company would focus on priorities other than style when creating their vehicles, because that is exactly what Toyota did here.

in 2011 dollars the total comes to $14,011. Not bad. I remember Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez (of frugality fame) also had one of these that was driven for around 20 years. They ended up getting… a 1st gen Insight.

I think they may have bought a demo model back in the day for around $5k. Enclosed is a brief synopsis of that long-term keeper.

‘In 1984, after much research, we decided we wanted a Toyota Tercel with four-wheel drive. We then called every dealership within 100 miles-and shaved $4,000 (33 percent) off the highest bid by purchasing a demonstrator (a deluxe model with everything but air-conditioning) that had 3,600 miles on it. Seven years and 100,000 miles later, nothing has gone wrong.’

Ok; you’ve corrected me and jogged my memory with that $8k price for the SR5 AWD. Seriously; we looked at one in Santa Monica, and with a few options and a ridiculous dealer markup, the asking price was $11k. No doubt about it. Not $15k, but still, $11k is $22.5 k today. Frankly, that’s starting to not sound so bad either, having just been car hunting for my daughter. Seemed mighty stiff at the time; a five-figure little Toyota. That alone broke some boundaries at the time.

The north/south engine with FWD was used in the 60’s by Triumph, and they shared it with Saab for their new 99 model. Saab developed the engine and transmission and kept making it long after Triumph had been closed-down.

I had an 84 4×4 wagon for almost two years. Bought it in ’06. (Paid $500 for it. Earlier that day I paid $940 for a two channel microphone preamplifier on Ebay. Priorities!)
Great rig for daily driving on the cheap, and hauling around music gear. I have an 83 liftback now but it’s nothing at ALL like the wagons.

My dad bought one new in 1985, 2wd, 5spd. He paid $10,000 for it. It’s still in the garage, but rust has rendered it un-roadworthy…with some fresh go juice and a good battery, that old bugger would still run like a damn sewing machine!

I used to see a few 4wd Tercel wagons in Maine when I was growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, though there were many more Subaru wagons. An acquaintance had a Tercel 4wd wagon with a factory compass built in to the dash. I suppose the compass and the huge 4wd badges made the wagons look more like off-roaders, but they probably did not have enough ground clearance to drive down rutted logging roads.

My mom told me that her and my Dad looked at buying a Toyota in 84 (probably a Tercel or Corolla), but the dealer markup was ridiculous. Instead, they wound up with a VW Rabbit to replace their aging, rusted VW squareback. However, both of my parents wound up driving 89 Toyota Corolla All-Trac wagons, the successor to the Tercel 4wd wagon. I think my mom paid about 10 or 11K for her brand new All-Trac wagon (which was stripped–am/fm radio with no cassette, manual windows, no rear windshield wiper, and no A/C) in the summer of 89. My mom’s 5-speed manual All-Trac had a locking center differential which was activated by a button on the dash, only for use when the car got really stuck. However, I think some power went to the real wheels at all times. I could make the front and rear wheels spin if I popped the clutch really quickly and accelerated hard from a standstill. My dad’s automatic All-Trac (which he bought slightly used in 91 or 92 for 7 or 8k, it had a cassette player and a rear wiper that briefly worked, but still had crank windows and no A/C) had a different center differential setup that was supposed to be left in the on position at all times.

I inherited my mom’s ’89 All-Trac in 1996 and drove it through 2001. I have real fond memories of the car–it was pretty good in the snow, fairly comfortable, handled well, wasn’t too slow, got about 30 mpg, and it could haul a lot of stuff. It never left me stranded, even when it had a nearly dead alternator. I never had to get any engine, transmission, or clutch work done beyond routine maintenance (I had the car until it reached 170k miles). But there were problems: the 13 inch tires were terrible, the wheels needed to be realigned every six months, and it rusted. So much rust. I spent many an hour cutting away rotted metal along the bottom of the car and replacing it with bondo and new sheet metal. The gas tank rusted when the car was 10 years old, and had to be completely replaced. I was kind of sad to give it up, but was happy that the 89 Taurus that replaced it (inherited from my grandfather in 2001 when it only had 80k miles) did not have the rust or alignment problems (though it had plenty of engine gremlins).

Right now I drive a 2003 Pontiac Vibe, which, like the All-Trac, is a kind of a spiritual successor to the Tercel wagons of the mid-1980s. I have had the Vibe for 9 years and 135K trouble-free miles (I only had the Taurus for 1.5 years, another driver totaled it in an accident). The Vibe (like its recent Toyota Matrix and Corolla cousins) doesn’t have the rust problems of the 1980s Toyotas. However, I wished I had sprung for the AWD Vibe when I was still living in Maine and Rhode Island! But, FWD is perfect for where I live in Southern California.

Note: the picture below is not of my old All-Trac, but is of the same vintage and color (minus the visible rust):

There is a very active Tercel 4WD Wagon Club! We have many members around the world, with most concentrated in the USA and Canada. We have a FSM available for free download. There are MANY tech-savvy and helpful members who are into preservation of these wonderful little cars.
The index of forums is http://www.tercel4wd.com/index.php
Please note that 2WD Wagons (and sedans) are Welcome as well!
Tom M.

I had an 83 SR5. With the exception of the plastic radiator, rust issues, and a weak heater this was a very high quality car. I put 180,000 miles on it and the engine was still tight when I sold it. Synthetic oil boasted gas mileage to nearly 40 mpg. I wish I still had it.

the little wagons cant be beat, here it is 2012 and i am still runnen them , just getting hard to find a good one. wish they would bring them back. old brownie only has 470000kms on it add no oil between changes

Until recently, our local Toyota dealer had one in his showroom, an ’87, I believe. It was daily driven the four-hour round trip from Sarnia to Windsor by a local salesman. When he traded it in on a 1997 Corolla, the ten-year-old brown 5-speed 2wd had racked up almost 450,000km — and looked brand new. I understand it was later sold to a teenager as his first car.

I remember the Tercel wagon. I was too young at the time to drive, but I knew people who owned one. At the time, I found it to be the least attractive car Toyota offered. It was attractive overall, but I didn’t like its front end appearance. I can’t explain it. For all its utility room and comfort, I thought Toyota should’ve done a better job at designing the front end of the car.

I rode in one of those once. Honestly…I’d rather have a Yugo. The Turd-cel was painfully slow…as in, it was diesel Rabbit on 3 cylinders slow. 0-60, I have no idea. I’m not sure it would go that fast. It struggled to even top 35 on a highway ramp, and anything but level ground meant basically holding the pedal on the floor at all times. The only think I recall being as gutless was a 5 ton box truck with a gas six cylinder.

It is interesting to note that Toyota was not likely looking toward the SUV/4×4 market when conceiving the 4WD Tercel wagon/Sprinter Carib, but rather the ever increasing sales of the 4WD Subarus during the 1970’s (Toyota also introduced a 4WD Tercel sedan at this time, both debuting for 1982 in Japan). Toyota actually previewed the 4WD wagon in 1981 as the RV-5, so the idea to enter into the 4WD passenger car market was likely floating around for at least a couple years prior. Here is the RV-5, as originally equipped for mobile video recording, in this case “bird watching”:

The only new Tercel wagons I saw was in Australia where they were all the 4WD variety no sedans however back in New Zealand all varieties are here 2WD 4WD sedan wagon the whole range even diesels I went to look at one of those only to find it had sold while I was on my way.

My dad replaced his yellow 4×4 Subaru GL wagon with a yellow 4×4 Tercel wagon. Bigger, faster, more comfortable, similar mileage and almost as rust prone. I think it made it one MN winter longer then the Subie. He went back to SAABs after that.

My family moved to a new (to us) house when I was 10 years old, in 1991. Our new next-door neighbors had one of these Tercel wagons, in a golden brown color. Can’t say I found it very attractive though the “ATM” tailgate trim was interesting. I got a lot of up-close time with it as they’d pay me $5 to wash it every so often, but for the life of me I can’t remember if it was 4WD or not.

They replaced it with a new Mazda 626 in ’92, which probably offered more room inside for their 2 young children (though less cargo space). Remember when the birth of a second child didn’t come with a note on a new minivan?

I think in ’84 I went to a Honda dealer to look at a new Honda Civic wagon. My wife saw the
’83? Tercel SR5 and liked it so we made the deal. Just then, a car screeched into the lot and a guy jumped out and tried to buy the car (he had looked at it but wanted to see other cars). I kept the car for years. The only rust was the sunroof. Loved the car, but here in Florida the 4 wheel drive felt kludgy on the non slippery roads so I did not use it. Car was five speed. Eventually my mother bought it from me to give a friend who needed a car. By then had way over 100, 000 miles and a couple of dents. Many years later, I bought an ’04 Scion Xb five speed the day they became available on the market. Loved the height and ease of entry/exit. Drove that way over 100, 000 miles when stuff like A/C and engine started going bad. Now in an ’07 Passat wagon that is a great car.